Cara shook her head. “No. Nothing can resist the core power.”
“But won’t Galeran use Nikolai’s power against them?” Aria asked.
Cara’s mouth straightened. “If he does, he’ll decimate whatever realm houses that conflict. But he might do it, regardless. Galeran has always been ambitious in his pursuit of the Bellatis goals, but no one realized he’d take it this far.”
“If it wasn’t for Nikolai, he couldn’t have,” Aria pointed out.
“Nikolai was no accident.” Cara sat down and took a long sip of her tea. “Galeran planned everything from his birth to him coming to his power as an adult.”
Surely she wasn’t serious? Lucas stared at her. Shewasserious. That level of planning put an entirely new, and much more sinister, complexion on things.
“What are the Elders planning to do about Nikolai?” Lucas asked.
Cara didn’t meet his eye. “The Elders have called for the elimination of Galeran, by whatever means necessary. And afterward, they wish Nikolai to be executed. So long as he lives, they feel he will pose too great a risk.”
Just how much those words hurt shocked Lucas. It was like someone punched a dagger straight through his heart.
“No.” Aria almost gasped the word. “They can’t. This isn’t his fault.”
Cara met her eye. “I agree. I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening.” She sat a little straighter. “As far as the Elders are concerned, I have been tasked with using his amulet to attempt to locate Nikolai. Galeran is using the disguising power of crystals to hide his group, but they feel I might be able to trace the Perditor.”
“Can you?” demanded Lucas.
Cara shook her head. “I doubt it. The amulet is saturated with his life essence, but the surrounding crystals will distort the connection.” Her blue gaze flashed to Lucas. “That is why I need you and Aria.”
Aria stiffened. “I won’t help you find him, if it means they’ll kill him.”
“We are going to find him.” Cara’s eyes gleamed. “But we aren’t going to let them kill him.”
Lucas’s eyes narrowed. “So what are you planning to do?”
Cara grinned at him. “The plan is to set him free.” Her blue gaze transferred to Dani. “And I need you guys to run interference while we three do it.”
Dani sighed. “So this is the official Unicorn rescue squad?” She sounded irritated, but Lucas suspected that she always had an edge to her voice. He understood it, because he shared her skeptical outlook on life.
At the moment, that sentiment was running strong.
Cara poured her a cup of tea and handed it over before answering. “Unless the Elders come to their senses, yes.”
“Are we really his only hope?” Aria’s jaw was rigid, but her eyes gleamed with unshed tears.
Lucas’s heart constricted as Cara nodded. If they were Nikolai’s only hope, the Morph figured they were royally screwed.
From across the room, he saw the similar acknowledgment in Dani’s eyes, but Ash spoke softly from where he sprawled in a comfy chair.
“From where I sit, Fate and miracles are closely intertwined,” he said. “And believe me when I tell you there is hope.”
* * *
Aria’s heart pounded as she settled into a cross-legged position on the bed.
Cara sat in front of her, and then patted the spot beside her and looked expectantly at Lucas.
The Morph hovered alongside. He refused to look at either of them.
Aria couldn’t blame him for his uncertainty. She was rife with it. How could they possibly help Nikolai from here? Yet Cara seemed convinced they should try.
Lucas eyed them both. “How is this going to work?”
